My invention relates to optical equipment, and more particularly to a camera for producing photographs simulating X-ray images of an object.
Optical devices for providing a simulated X-ray image are known. By way of example, such devices comprise a feather interposed between two transparent panes of glass, or a pane of stressed thermoplastic material, as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,533, or a pane of thermoplastic material containing a plurality of parallel grooves on at least one surface thereof, as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,183. When an illuminated object, such as a hand, is viewed through such devices, an outer lighter area is produced around the fingers, apparently denoting the flesh of the fingers, and a darker inner area is produced, simulating the bone structure of the fingers.
These optical devices have been incorporated in eyeglasses for viewing a simulated X-ray image of an object, as well as in cameras to overlay the lens used in order to obtain a photograph of the simulated X-ray image.
Such devices have been used as toys, but primarily used to create amusing illusions, particularly as a result of a comparison between views of an actual object and the simulated X-ray image of this same object. While such comparison is easy to achieve in the case of eyeglasses by merely putting on and taking off the glasses, it has not heretofore been easily possible to do so in the case of cameras at the time photographs are desired to be taken.